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Fresh from his defeat of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, William of Normandy has returned home in triumph, accompanied by the English nobles he cannot trust to leave behind. For Waltheof of Huntingdon, however, rebellion is not at the forefront of his thoughts. From the moment he catches sight of Judith, daughter of the King's formidable sister, he knows he has found his future wife. When Waltheof saves Judith's life, it is clear that the attraction is mutual. But marriage has little to do with love in mediaeval Europe. William refuses to let the couple wed and Waltheof joins an uprising against him. William crushes the rebellion but decides the best way to keep Waltheof in check is to agree to the marriage. But is the match between Saxon earl and Norman lady one made in heaven or hell? As their children grow, Waltheof and Judith must choose between their feelings for each other and older loyalties... Based on an astonishing true story, THE WINTER MANTLE reaches from the turbulent reign of William the Conqueror to the high drama of the crusades...

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Top customer reviews

I haven't read this book before and was, once again transported by in time by Elizabeth Chadwick's beautiful writing. Based, as usual on fact, even though there is little known. I knew the story of that Matilda married to David of Scotland and that Waltheof of Huntingdon was her father and this book filled in the gaps. I knew that Matilda was married to Simon and this book narrates their story. An excellent read once again from Elizabeth Chadwick.

Elizabeth Chadwick has grown with each of her books. Her ability to transport her readers into the world of her characters has always been impressive, but in The Winter Mantle, this ability, in particular, shines. With her incredible attention to detail, she brings to life the Conqueror's England and Normandy and allows us to believe we are getting a glimpse of the real William and his family. This is not a 'fluff' book and Elizabeth Chadwick is not a fluff author; this is historical fiction at its best.

I have read a couple of Elizabeth Chadwick's books and they have always been a delight to read, the only problem being trying to put them down to get other things done! The Winter Mantle was no exception.

The Story starts with the main Characters Waltheof of Huntington being brought to Normandy as a 'guest' with some other nobles so King William can keep an eye on them. Waltheof is a lovely character friendly to a fault and caring, he notices Judith (Williams Niece) and instantly falls for her.Judith is a much more reserved person, however she wants Waltheof too, but her life is based on duty and what is expected of her and this leads her through her life till the end.When Waltheof does ask William to marry Judith he says no, but later when Waltheof helps a rebellion against William it is decided to allow the marriage to keep control of Waltheof, but the marriage does not run smoothly and soon choices have to be made regarding loyality and love.

There story leads to there Daughter's Matilda and her Husband together and we see how the past still lingers in there lifes.

The story is wonderfully written and is full of detail that transports you to that time where you feel like you are there watching it all unfold.

The Winter Mantle begins in 1067 after The Conquest as Waltheof of Huntingdon and several other English nobles are kept under William's close eye in Normandy. Waltheof desires William's haughty niece Judith and is torn between making his peace with William and pressing suit for her hand or participating in further rebellion against the Norman conquerors. After one rebellion in the north fails, William forgives Waltheof and marries him to Judith, although she is torn between pride in her Norman ancestry and desire for her husband, and this eventually leads to discord in the marriage. Waltheof allows himself to be convinced to participate in one last attempt at overthrowing William, and this time with drastic results.

The story takes up with the second generation in the second half of the book. Norman courtier Simon de Senlis is sent to take charge of the lands Judith inherited from Waltheof at the behest of King William Rufus. Furious, the ever haughty Judith refuses to cooperate and wed Simon and he turns his eye to Matilda as a younger and more appealing choice...

Based on true people, this was a lively entertaining tale and I very much enjoyed how the author was able to take such a snotty piece of goods like Judith and humanize her in the end - it really was a love/hate relationship between she and Waltheof and in many ways those two warring emotions are very much the same. As with all of her books, Chadwick has an amazing knack of bringing the medieval period to life, be it the sights, sounds, smells, food, clothing and more. Highly recommended and a side note that the tiny baby at the very end of the book has his own story in The Falcons of Montabard.

Much of Elizabeth Chadwick's research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, this is an early medieval re-enactment society. Her writing in recent books has become much more accomplished. She now writes about the period with the convictions of her obvious knowledge of the subject and has also made a subtle change from writing what were in effect historical love stories (nothing wrong with that) to historical novels with a love interest. She has now written quite a number of books and has received many accolades for her writing.

Fresh from his victory over the usurper Harold at Hastings, Duke William of Normandy, known to one and all as William the Bastard has returned home in triumph, accompanied in his retinue by a number of English nobles he cannot trust to leave behind his back.. But for one man Waltheof of Huntingdon rebellion is the furthest thing from his mind. From the second he see Judith, daughter of the King's sister he is determined that she will be his wife and soon it is apparent that the attraction is mutual. But love play little or no part in a marriage in medieval times and William refuses to allow the pair to marry.

This only spurs Waltheof to join a rebellion against the King. After crushing the uprising William decides that the best way to curb Waltheof's rebellious spirit is to allow the marriage to take place. But will the marriage of a Saxon Earl and a Norman lady bring its own problems. As their children grow Waltheof and Judith must make a choice between their own feeling and much older loyalties . . .

The author's style is slowly changing, to my way of thinking for the better, but what does remain constant is her knowledge of the period about which she writes and her ability to draw the reader into the story, until they could almost be there. This is a rare talent indeed. This book covers the period from the start of the Conqueror's reign through to the crusades.